Chapter 7 – Traveling Companions

Help he did. The Venus was pulled back home under the power of the TARDIS. That was when I saw my very first alien planet. Gyniles. The planet rotated on its axis so slowly that the surface was uninhabitable. One side or the other was always unbelievably hot or severely cold. The people lived in an underground city they built of stone and water. The Doctor and Jack fixed it so their city could be powered off of the light and heat of the continuous sunlight on the surface. Solar power basically, the Doctor explained to me. The system stored energy as well therefore insuring the hope that they could continue to live on their home world for a long time.

We were back on the TARDIS after saying goodbye to Til and the rest of the Gynil who waved us off.
"You know I think they were writing a song about you," Jack said to me as we walked up the ramp and the Doctor closed the doors behind us.
"It was about us, Til told me," I corrected and took my seat by the TARDIS console.

Jack sat down next to me as the Doctor began switching and twisting knobs and levers around the console.
"What were you guys talking about before we left?"
The Doctor glanced up innocently, "Oh, we were discussing a little detour before dropping Jack off, weren't we?"
"Yep," Jack said, nodding.
"Oh, where are we going?" I said excitedly, sitting up in my seat.

Both men exchanged significant glances but said nothing further until the sound of the TARDIS died down. I ran down the ramp and got to the door first. My face fell as I opened it, the Doctor and Jack following me onto the pavement. We were on the north side of London. It was midday, the sky was actually clear for once and a lovely breeze was going through the air. I was back home. "Is this supposed to be a joke?" I asked the two of them.
"Hold on, Alice. You'll see," the Doctor took my hand and Jack followed us down the street.

We walked a couple of blocks until the Doctor pulled me to the entrance of a restaurant and lounge that was basically open twenty four hours a day. My confusion deepened as we went in and were seated in a booth set along the side wall of the dimly lit and smoky restaurant.
The Doctor was on one side of me and Jack was on the other and put his arm around my shoulders. I glanced at each of them in turn but they wouldn't look at me. Instead their eyes were on their menus. The Doctor rested his chin in his hand as he scanned over the food options.

"Are you going to tell me what – "
"You're back so soon, brown eyes?" the voice struck a fuse inside my brain but I had no idea why. I couldn't place it anywhere.
I glanced up into the horse-like face of a bleached blonde waitress who looked like she was attempting to hide the fact that she had put on weight. She nearly bulged out of her tight fitting white button down blouse and black trousers. She had makeup on but it didn't seem to help her much.

I stared at her then at her name tag which read 'Theresa' on it and nearly choked on my glass of water. I nudged the Doctor's leg with my foot underneath the table but he ignored me. I was going to kill him!
"Hello, Theresa," the Doctor said with a kind smile. These are my very good friends I told you about. This is Jack," Jack smiled his lovely smile up at her, "And this is Alice. We've been traveling together a bit."

Theresa Blindt met my eyes and we knew each other. "Alice? Alice Crown?" she said with a gap toothed smile. Her eyes continued flitting to Jack and I had to do my best to keep from glaring at her.
"Hi Theresa," I used all of my will power to smile at her, which seemed to work. "How've you been?"
"Oh, I've been fantastic!" she flashed an engagement ring in front of me, the stone of which I could barely make out it was so small.
"Congratulations," I said, keeping my smile plastered on my face as best I could.
"Thanks," she said with a smile. "Greg's taken forever to set a date but it's finally happening this spring. He works construction – going to be manager soon." She said and she glanced down at my hands resting on the table.

"I see you're still not tired of the single scene," she said with a laugh that unsuccessfully veiled the scathing mocking in her voice.
"Well," Jack piped up and scooted a little closer to me. I looked at him strangely but he kept his eyes and smile on Theresa. "That's not entirely true. Isn't that right sweetheart?" he turned to me with sparkling blue eyes and pecked me on the cheek.
I stared at him.
"Oh, she's still shy about telling anyone you see, because it hasn't been officially announced yet. We just got engaged," Jack continued. He placed his hand on my neck and cheek and smiled lovingly at me. "Her ring is custom and it's being finished on the southern side of town."

The Doctor kicked me in the foot beneath the table and the first thing I could to was laugh as I looked back at Theresa, "Er, yeah. Jack completely won me over when we first met."
Jack laughed heartily.

The expression on Theresa's face was absolutely heavenly. Her smile had turned from broad and bragging into small and tightlipped as her eyes hardened and her hair seemed to fall out of its twist at the back of her head. It was glorious. But she recovered quickly, "And how do you fall into this, Brown Eyes?" she smiled cutely at the Doctor.
"Oh, I'm their best friend – going to be both the best man and maid of honor. My wife can't make the wedding though, unfortunately. She just adores functions that involve floral arrangements."

My bladder was going to explode I was holding back so much laughter. Jack was getting closer by the second. By the time the Doctor had finished his sentence he and I were staring into each other's eyes, nearly nose to nose. I couldn't focus on anything. His face turned into a pretty Picasso as I tried to keep my eyes from crossing as he lovingly rubbed my shoulder and neck.

"Well, aren't we lucky girls, Alice?" Theresa said.
I turned away from Jack's face and smiled, "Very lucky. Congratulations to you again Theresa. I hope you and Greg are very hap-aaah!" Jack was kissing my neck. I giggled stiffly and pushed his head away.
"You too," Theresa's smile was off her face and her eyes were steel. "I'll give you a few minutes to decide what you'd like." she stalked off before she'd finished the sentence.

I was busy fending off Jack as the Doctor watched her go into the kitchen and out of sight. "Alright, let's go," he said, taking my hand and dragging me out of the booth.
Jack came right with us as Theresa walked back out of the kitchen. At the sight of her he grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me into the tightest and most inescapable kiss I'd ever participated in. Not that it wasn't great, of course but I could feel the Doctor rolling his eyes at the doorway.

After he let me go he grinned mischievously, as he bent down, seized me around my legs and picked me up like a sack of potatoes so my upper half was hanging over the back of his shoulder and he put his arms around my legs to keep me stable. I was still in a daze from the kiss so I didn't protest much as he picked me up.
I yelped. "Good to meet you Theresa," I heard Jack say and he turned around and moved towards the door.
I smiled and waved at my now very ugly looking old school mate as I was carried out the door.

--

Jack carried me all the way back into the TARDIS and didn't set me down until we were back inside on the ramp. I'd been laughing the entire way and when I was placed on my feet again I attacked the Doctor with a great hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You are brilliant," I said to him. He giggled as he held me, "It's been a while since I've done that."
"I bloody love you two," I said as I hugged Jack, who tried to kiss me again but with a warning look from the Doctor, didn't follow through with it.

I sighed contentedly as I sat down. The Doctor was at the controls, probably setting in a new destination. "Where are we going now?"
The Doctor looked at me for a long moment before he spoke, "Jack needs to get back home and you wanted to go back to yours as well."

I sank a little into my seat. The way he spoke it sounded like it wasn't negotiable, so I stayed silent.
"What is it, Alice?" Jack said.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something I talked about with the Doctor a while ago, about being afraid." I spoke to Jack but my eyes continued to flick to the Doctor for any reaction. There was none. "I was hoping that I could get a second chance maybe."
The Doctor glanced up at me then, "A second chance at what?"
"Going to 1977 to see Star Wars with you and maybe go on from there," I stood and walked towards him like a tentative puppy.

The Doctor looked at me seriously, placing his hands in his pockets.
"If you don't want me to, I – "
"It's my turn," he said and I went silent.
"It is such a bore," he said and my heart sank even more. "To go to the theater by yourself." His eyes sparkled and a sweet smile came to his lips. "It's much more fun to have someone there to discuss the aspects of the film with afterwards."

"So, you'll take me with you?" I asked slowly, barely able to believe that he'd be considering it at all.
"You know me, Alice and you know I'd love it," he said with a laugh and his boyish smile.

I let out a scream that seemed to scare him a little and jumped up and down until I jumped onto him with my second grateful hug for him within five minutes while kissing him repeatedly on the cheeks.
"I never get that," Jack said wistfully.
"You never give me enough notice," the Doctor replied without missing a beat as I let him go and made my way back to my seat as the TARDIS started up again.

The Doctor sat down next to me and Jack leaned on the console in front of us.
"One thing that's been driving me crazy, Alice – that song you sang, where exactly is it from?"
"Oh, come on!" the Doctor and I said at the same time.

"You're kidding right? I thought you were from Earth," I said.
"Well, there is no place like home," the Doctor said to me.
I nodded, "With its rain clouds that bring rainbows."
"Big and little people –"
"Scarecrows in the fields and lions in the forests – " I added.
"Oh, good one! Real witches and imaginary ones – "
"Sometimes it can turn from black and white to color – "

"This isn't helping," Jack cut off our banter.
The Doctor was scratching his head in disbelief, "Maybe we should take a detour to 1939 first."
"The Wizard of Oz!" Jack said triumphantly with bright eyes.
I laughed, "Maybe we could try Gone With the Wind too – "

The ship gave a shudder, rocking the Doctor and me to the side in our seats and causing Jack to stumble and nearly fall on top of us.
"Is that normal?" I said.
"Not exactly," the Doctor sat up and Jack was already at the controls.

"The course has changed but I can't tell – "
Another crash rattled us in the room and tipped me out of my seat, the Doctor landing partially on top of me, smashing my face into the metal mesh flooring. I let out a groan and for some reason the thought came into my head that I was closer to entering OZ than I was going home.

--

Author's Note:
Before anyone asks I'm not considering shipping Alice and Jack or anyone else for that matter. That could change but for now, no shipping, I swear! This is my favorite of the series so far because the entire time I was writing it I just pictured David Tennant doing all of this stuff, acting like a woman was inside his body, his arms flailing and all of that.
Thanks for reading and to those of you who took the time to post your comments and reviews - you have no idea how encouraging they are :)
The next adventure Story Tellers will be posted soon.